'Take care', I muttered heading down the path way, I had just reached the beginning of the other house when…

'Yo, Spilner', Dom called out, I turned to look at him, 'You want a beer?'

'Yeah sure!' I nodded, as I walked back, heading up the stairs and entering the house after Dom. I felt like I had just walked into a house full of mass murderers that I had put in Jail. Vince was in the corner playing an awesome guitar, and Letty was lying on the floor playing a game. Dom took his jacket off in front of me, and I stared, I couldn't help myself.

'Yo, Dom. Hey man, we were just about to go looking for you, brother', Leon stated as Dom knocked the beer out of his hand.

'Where were you?' Dom asked walking up to Vince in the corner.

'There were mass cops there; they came in from every direction. There shit was orchestrated!' Vince exclaimed.

'This your beer?' Dom asked, pointing at the beer beside him.

'Yeah that's my beer', Vince answered, as Dom picked it up and walked away.

'Yo, Einstein, take it up stairs', Dom stated as he disturbed Jesse making out with some chick, 'You can't detail a car with the cover on', he walked off, 'Can't even get that right'.

'You all right?' asked Letty. I knew Letty and Dom was an item, so I was trying desperately not to be…disturbed by the whole caring notion.

'Am I alright?' Dom stated angrily stepping towards her.

'It was just a question', she said simply.

'Yo, Dom', Vince called from the corner, 'Why'd you bring the buster here?' Dom had walked further towards me, beers in hand.

'Because the buster kept me out of handcuffs, She didn't just run back to the fort! The buster brought me back', Dom shouted. He walked towards me, arms outspread a beer in each hand, and 'You can have any brew you want, as long as it's a Corona'.

'Thanks, man', I muttered, taking the beer from his right hand.

'That's Vince's. So enjoy it', Dom stated, as I smiled. I didn't know what Vince had against me, maybe it was because of my brother, but I enjoyed taking my shirt, washing his spit from just inside and outside of the top and taking a delectable sip.

'Hey, you got a bathroom?' I asked him, nudging his arm a little. I was a little short than him, maybe a head or two shorter, so it was slightly hard to fit in with the whole "Yo, Bro" thing.

'Yeah, upstairs, first door to your right', Dom answered, still staring down Vince with a slight smile.

'Yeah, so what girls are here?' Dom asked, waving his hands around to emphasis his point.

'You name it. You want mine?' Leon asked.

'You need to shut the hell…' Letty started as Leon was still talking till he shut up and walked off.

'You don't have anything?' Dom smiled at Leon.

'You look a bit tired, I think you should go upstairs and give me a massage', Letty stated simply, taking his hands.

'Look at all our guests', Dom pointed out.

'How about we go up stairs and you give me a massage', Letty stated a little harder as Dom gave in with a smile and slung his arm around her, heading to the stairs just as I came down them.

'Yo', Dom stated, leaning against the start of the railing, his arm still around Letty, 'You know you owe me a ten second car right?'

'Oh…shit', Letty laughed as they headed upstairs. I turned back to the party to find, Leon, Vince and Jesse already to have a rumble.

'Oh. So you waste your time fighting with a girl, eh? And you need three people, against little old me?' I teased, not smiling at all. If they wanted to go, I'd fight till all my bones were broken.

'Did you wipe the seat?' Vince sneered. My eyes fell to shiny gun on the table surround and covered by chips.

'Oh, Jesus Christ. Would you cut the shit, already, come on!' Mia shouted, pushing Vince away. I sighed thankfully, releasing the breath I didn't know I was holding.

'Come on, let's go get a drink', Mia muttered pulling me away.

'Aw, come on, man, we were just about to get it on', Leon whined as Mia and I disappeared.

'You know my brother likes you. He usually doesn't like anybody', Mia told me as I poured her a cold drink.

'Yeah, he's a complicated guy', I told her with a smile.

'What about you?' Mia asked me.

'I'm simpler', I told her laughing slightly.

'You're a shitty liar', Mia told her with a chuckle. 'But there is a problem'.

'What's that?' I asked after draining my beer and sitting down on a chair.

'You need to get some sleep. And you definitely, definitely need a shower', Mia told me and I laughed.

'Come on, I'll take you home', Mia told me.


'Brian, cops', I whispered as we were driving down the freeway in a Racer's Edge Ute.

'Show me your hands', the cops said as we did just that, 'Very good, now open the door', they said as we opened the door and stepped out, 'Hands on your head, behind your head', we did that too, 'Now face the front of the vehicle and walk backwards towards the rear'.

Brian was handcuffed and the cop that wasn't handcuffing pretended to write me a ticket when in fact it was just a rendezvous point for me to go and pick up Brian. I nodded, walked back, closed my door and walked around the front to get into the drivers seat.


I got to haul a car to the garage, walking around after I backed it in.

'All right, what the hell is this? What do you got here?' Dom asked leaning on an arm against the wall.

'This is your car', I told him motioning to wreck on the haul truck.

'My car?' Dom replied surprised, pointing to his chest, Red Bull in hand. 'I said a ten-second car not a ten-minute car'.

'You could push this across the finish line, or tow it', Jesse told them making Mia, Dom and Letty laugh.

'Couldn't even tow that across the finish line', Dom laughed as I sighed happily.

'No faith', I laughed, causing everybody to laugh again.

'Oh, I have faith in you, but this isn't a junkyard. This is a garage', Dom told me, pointing at me, still the red bull in hand.

'Hey, pop the hood', I told Jesse smiling; knowing what they found in there would shock them.

'Pop the hood?' Dom questioned, and I nodded.

'Pop the hood'; I retaliated. The hood was popped with crowbars and Jesse smirked.

'2 J.Z. engine, no shit', Jesse laughed, peaking further under the hood.

'And what did I tell you?' I pointed at Dom, waiting for him to apologize.

'I retract my previous statement', Dom nodded, holding the crow bar.

'You know what? This will decimate all after you put about 15 grand in it, or more. If we have to, overnight parts from Japan', Jesse told us, bowing as soon as he said Japan.

'We'll put it on my tab at Harry's', Dom told Jesse.

'Yes!' Jesse exclaimed happily.

'I got to get you racing again so I can make some money off your ass', Dom told me pointing at me with the crowbar. 'There's this show down in the desert called Race Wars and that's where you'll do it', He walked off into the garage. I watched him walk off, trying hard not to think too much into him talking about my ass.

'I'll tell you what. When you're not working' at your job, wait, where do you work?' Dom asked.

'I don't have a job'; I answered honestly. I had been living off the money my parents had sent out after they won the lotto.

'You work here. If you can't find the right tool in this garage, Miss Arizona, you don't belong near a car', he nodded, as I smiled. I now have a job, Brian has a job, and we're set for life.

'He owns you now', Mia told me. I smirked to myself.


The next day, Brian pulled a few strings at Racer's edge and let me borrow the truck to haul the car parts to the garage so we could get started on the car.

The same day, Dom, Leon, Jesse and I were eating lunch outside on the car we had all been working on. We had sandwiches and beers all of us hungry and dirty we all didn't care though, we were just relaxing.

The guys were all topless; here I am trying not to stare at Dom who was sitting way to far away from me to be enjoying the lunch break. He was rather sexy, all sweaty and half naked. Jesse sitting on the back behind them while Leon sat on the ground leaning up on the side. I was in my baggy jeans and beside the fact that I really hate showing more skin than is really necessary I was sitting in my bra. It was hot and the tank top was way to clingy.

They were all just sitting around relaxing in the breeze flowing through and talking shit. Dom brought up the subject of first time drivers and when we all had driven for the first time.

'I was like five years old. I was sittin' on my fathers lap. And he's got me propped up and both my hands are on the steering wheel. And he kept goin' faster and faster. I remember hearin' him laughing, the faster we went the happier he was', Dom told us, myself smiling.

'How old were you again?' Jesse asked him.

'Five', Dom smiled in remembrance.

'My moms taught me how to drive'; Leon shared with us.

'Your moms?' Dom asked staring down at him.

'Yeah man. That was right before she left though', Leon muttered. 'You know, hate her for that but I can't hate her completely. You know?'

'First time I drove, it was on my learners permit. We were on the 40 Freeway, my mother and I. Car in front of me locks up its breaks', I said mimicking the sound. 'Then boom! Someone blew into me from behind. Five car pile up, first time I drove'. I couldn't help but smile.

'Before my dad went away. He bought me this uh, '71 Malibu classic the first day I got my license it was the greatest day. It was also the first day that I had sex', Jesse laughed, beating us all hands down. I laughed with the guys at that one, Leon sounding very impressed. 'I shit you not', Jesse assured us.

'Somethin' about learning how to drive. Like-it's you're a driver or you're not a driver. So up until the point you start driving is one lifetime and then after you start driving is another lifetime', Dom explained. I couldn't exactly say the same, because my life has been the same no matter when I started driving

'Tell me what you think about this', Jessie asked me cigarette in hand while they sat in the office in the garage loading the computer with a floppy disk. 'Koni adjustables. Gonna save us about two pounds. And they're gonna give us better traction for the hole shot. All right? This is your basic layout of the car, and that's pretty much what it could look like when it's finished. Red, green', Jesse muttered mucking around with the buttons on the computer.

'Man, you should be goin' to M.I.T. or somethin'', I smiled at him as he nodded his head before shaking it.

'Yeah, right', He laughed. 'No, I got that…Oh what's it called? That attention disorder…' Jesse mumbled, shaking his hand trying to think of the problem he had.

'Oh, A.D.D.?' I asked.

'Yes, that shit. Yeah. You know, I was good in algebra…and like math and shit. Everything else I failed. Dropped out of school. I don't know. It's just somethin' about engines…that-that calms me down, you know?' Jesse explained to her.


The next day found me outside the house with Dom by the BBQ beer in hand. Vince, Leon and Letty were at the store and didn't exactly know I was here, so I was a little tense as they pulled up.

'I'm outta here', Vince said handing over his bags when he saw me. What had I done that was so bad to him?

'Come on, dog', Leon said taking his bags.

'What're you talkin' about?' Letty asked.

'Yo, Dom', Leon said calling his attention to Vince.

'Vince, get over here and give us a hand', Dom called out to him.

'Looks like you got all the help you need, Brother', Vince replied angrily getting into his car and speeding away. I felt totally uncomfortable, not that I was made to feel that way.

I helped Mia to carry all the dishes and cutlery outside while Dom stood by the BBQ cooking the chicken. It smelled great and looked better as it was sat in the middle of the table. We were all sitting around after Jesse saying grace just about to eat when Vince showed.

'Look who it is. Ol' Coyote's are us; I thought you weren't hungry, pumpkin?' Leon asked as Vince ambled his way.

'You know, I gotta eat', Vince replied.

'All right, sit down', Dom told him motioning to the table. He walked up behind Dom kissing the top of his baldhead affectionately while Dom cast a glance his way. I glanced away suddenly feeling uncomfortable but less guilty at least.

I hung out in the kitchen helping Mia clean up drying the stuff she washed and putting it away. I was working on the stack of plates when Mia stepped out to pick up the rest of the trash from the table. Dom stepped in and started washing some dishes, not saying a word to me, which kind of made me really uncomfortable.

'So…' I started, rolling back on my heels before I headed over to the cupboard to place the stack of plates away.

'I don't know you', he said simply, as I nodded.

'No, you don't, that's true, but I don't know you either', I added, placing a cup in the top cupboard.

'How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won't stab me in the back or hurt my family?' It was a rhetorical question, so I didn't bother answering.

'Your starting to sound a bit like a girl Dom', I started, before draping the tea towel over my right shoulder and leaning against the bench. 'You don't know whether I'm gunna do all that, but you don't know how much hanging out with your family, means to me'.

'Why, what's so wrong with your home?' he asked, turning to me, arms crossed, hands dripping from the suds.

'Because home was unstable, and coming here with Brian was my only option', I told him sounding calmer then I would've normally been.

'Unstable?' He asked me.

'Yeah, parent's getting involved with a mob and all shit just hit the fan basically', I said smiling slightly. We stood in silence for a while I stared at Dom, not sure whether I should tell him about my school girl crush on him, or to just stand here and wait for Mia to come back.

I headed over to the fridge to get another beer, and that was when Mia walked in, ceasing the now awkward situation.


I went to Harry's working the counter for Brian while he was setting himself up at home. I wasn't there too long when Hector came in the door followed by a few other groupies. Hector greeted Harry before spotting me by the counter obviously surprised walking over to me alone.

'Damn what have we got here? Hired some new help huh?' Hector joked.

'Don't even think about it', I told him with a smile moving forward.

'Oh, all right. Like that. What's up, Spilner? How you feeling?' Hector asked as I smiled and gave him a quick hug.

'Pretty good. So what's up? What do you need?' I asked him.

'What's up, man, I'm gonna need you to hook me up. Three of everything, I made a list', He told me digging it out and handing it over. 'Why don't you look that over?'

'When do you need this stuff by?' I asked him moving to face the computer.

'Tomorrow, today, now', Hector told me in a stern voice.

'Right', I replied smiling.

'Come on man, white girls work fast don't they?' He asked jokingly. 'Beto, pasa le feria, homes. That's right', Hector said to one of his friends who handed him a roll of cash.

'Hey, you said you need three of all this stuff?' I asked him realizing what a haul he was asking for.

'Yeah, three of everything. What do you think about that? Check this out', Hector asked waving the cash at me. I smiled awkwardly.